JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press

2 months ago

FILE – Joe Wurzelbacher, also known as “Joe the Plumber,” laughs while talking outside of his home in Holland, Ohio, Oct. 16, 2008. Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, has died, his son said Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. He was 49. His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday, Aug. 27, in Wisconsin after a long illness. (AP Photo/Madalyn Ruggiero, File)

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic proposals during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49.

His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after a long illness. His family announced this year on an online fundraising site that he had pancreatic cancer.

“The only thing I have to say is that he was a true patriot,” Joey Wurzelbacher — whose father had the middle name Joseph and went by Joe — said in a telephone interview. “His big thing is that everyone comes to God. That’s what he taught me, and that’s a message I hope is heard by a lot of people.”

He went from toiling as a plumber in suburban Toledo, Ohio, to life as a media sensation when he asked Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop.

Their exchange and Obama’s response that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” aired often on cable news. Days later, Obama’s Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, repeatedly cited “Joe the Plumber” in a presidential debate.

Wurzelbacher soon faced intense media scrutiny and acknowledged that he didn’t have a plumber’s license, saying at the time he didn’t need one because he worked for small plumbing company owned by someone else.

Wurzelbacher went on to campaign with McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But he later criticized McCain in his book and said he did not want him as the GOP presidential nominee.

His sudden fame turned him into a sought-after voice for many anti-establishment conservatives, and he traveled the country speaking at tea party rallies and conservative gatherings.

He also wrote a book and worked with a veterans organization that provided outdoor programs for wounded soldiers.

In 2012, he made a bid for a U.S. House seat in Ohio. But he lost in a landslide to Democrat Marcy Kaptur in a district heavily tilted toward Democrats.

Republicans had recruited him to run and thought his fame would help bring in enough money to mount a serious challenge. But he drew criticism during the campaign for suggesting that the United States should build a fence at the Mexico border and “start shooting” at immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally.

Wurzelbacher returned to working as a plumber after he gave up on politics, his family said.

Funeral arrangements were pending. Survivors include his wife, Katie, and four children.

___

Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

The post Joe the Plumber, who questioned Obama’s tax proposals in the course of the 2008 marketing campaign, has died at 49 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A $4 million marketing campaign touting San Francisco’s resilience, innovation and moxie launches Thursday as the embattled city prepares to host a high-profile global economic summit next month that could boost its image or pile on to its woes.

Business leaders behind the privately funded “It All Starts Here” campaign say they plan to blanket the city with billboards and ads featuring what makes San Francisco great — think the iPhone and Pixar Animation Studios — as tens of thousands converge on the city for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit.

President Joe Biden and other heads of state, hundreds of foreign journalists and more than 1,000 business executives from around the globe are expected to attend the summit Nov. 11 to 17.

“Birthplace of the waterbed. And the summer of love,” reads one ad. “The martini. The mai tai. And the Uber ride back home,” reads another. The campaign logo echoes the famous crisscross Haight and Ashbury street signs.

There’s also a spirited two-minute video set to the song “California Dreamin’.” The video opens with fog and mountains, Pacific Ocean waves crashing into majestic cliffs and the Golden Gate Bridge before mixing in historic images of streetcars, beatniks, retailer Gap, Apple and Google. San Francisco is sandwiched between Silicon Valley and Northern California wine country.

The summit comes at a critical time for San Francisco’s bruised image. While there are signs of recovery — an IKEA opened downtown — the city has been hit hard by news of major retailers leaving as street conditions deteriorated over public drug use, homelessness and theft.

“Unfortunately, when you hear about San Francisco, you hear about a lot of negative things,” said Priya David Clemens, spokesperson for the host committee. “And APEC is an opportunity for people to come from all around the Pacific Rim, see this city, and go back and tell their friends and family, ‘Hey, San Francisco’s a great place to do business’ and to come back and visit for pleasure.”

Civic and business leaders, government officials and the tourism and conference industry are anxious to counter the narrative that San Francisco is dying or dead as it might become a self-fulfilling prophecy in today’s era of snap judgments spread through a viral social media ecosystem built in the city’s backyard.

Conditions are not as dire as headlines make out, said Larry Baer, board co-chair of Advance SF, the business group overseeing the campaign. Baer, who is also president and CEO of the San Francisco Giants, said the ads are also aimed at reminding residents of the city’s accomplishments.

“It’s urging a change in the narrative,” said Baer, a San Francisco native. The city is “like other big cities, with modern day challenges, but also with really a unique sparkle to it.”

“We’re not going to have as quick a change perhaps as we want, but I believe … there’s improvement,” he said.

In September, San Francisco successfully hosted 40,000 attendees of an annual Salesforce conference. City native Marc Benioff, the software company’s CEO and chair, raved about how clean and safe streets were around the convention center.

The new ads take some liberties. Apple has its headquarters in Cupertino and Pixar’s is in Emeryville, neither of which are San Francisco. The martini may have been invented San Francisco, or in neighboring Martinez. The mai tai was created in 1944 at a Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland across the bay.

The modern waterbed, however, was created in San Francisco, by a design student at San Francisco State University.

Copyright
© 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

The post Civic group launches $4M marketing campaign to spice up embattled San Francisco forward of world commerce summit appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Private Residence
San Francisco, California

(September 27, 2023)

5:22 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT: Before you — before you go, I’ve got to tell a little story. (Laughter.) You know, I didn’t realize, even though I’d been vice president and sat in that seat next to the President in front of the fireplace in the Oval Office for eight years, that the outgoing president has to be out of the office by — I think it’s 10 o’clock on Inauguration Day. And the incoming president doesn’t — can’t come in — I believe it isn’t until four o’clock.

And so, I asked my brother, Jim, my best buddy — who has better taste than I do — to pick which desk I would — I knew what desk and rug I wanted in the room, but pick out and lay out the furniture.

And for — I was there for a long time as a U.S. senator and then as vice president. And there was one portrait that hung over — the Secretary of the Interior knows this — one portion that — portrait that hung over the mantelpiece, and it was George Washington. And it was a normal size; it was probably about two and a half or three by four, or something like that.

And so, I came in, and there was this gigantic picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt — portrait, not picture. Portrait. And next to him, there’s four other presidents: Jefferson and Madison on the one side, and Washington and Lincoln.

So, I looked at my brother. I said, “Why Roosevelt?” I admired him, but why? And Jon Meacham, who is a presidential historian — was helping my brother set the office up — figure the office — said, “Well, because no president has ever taken office with the world in more financial disarray than he.” And I said, “Oh, that’s wonderful.” (Laughter.)

And then I said, “Why Lincoln?” He said, “Because the country hasn’t been as divided since Lincoln.”

I said, “I’m out of here.” (Laughter.) (Inaudible.)

But, look, thank you all so very, very much. And as you can tell, I like kids better than people, so — (laughter) — I’m not going to go long because I want to see the kids. She brought everybody — her two sons out, but her beautiful daughter is sitting in the back on a bench back here.

Folks, Gretchen and Andrew, I want to thank you for organizing the event.

And your lieutenant governor, we were talking about — not the Pacific Ocean, but the Bala- — Lake Balaton in — when she was the Ambassador to Hungary, which I spent a lot of time in with — putting Hungary together. And thank you.

And Deb — Deb Haaland has not only made history as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary, but has helped me get so much done.

And I was raised politically by Danny Inouye. For real. He was the first guy to urge me to run for president. And Danny used to say, “Joe, it’s Indian Nations — Indian Nations.” And it is.

And, Deb, you’re the best. You really are. You’re doing a heck of a job. (Applause.)

And just like you, I owe it all to my sister, sitting to your left. Sis, welcome. Thank you. (Applause.)

Normally at events like this, I would talk about how much Kamala — and Kamala has been an incredible, incredible ally. (Applause.) No, she really has. She is so bright. She is so tough. She is just doing a first-rate job making me look better. (Laughs.)

But I want — I ordinarily talk about what Kamala and I have accomplished in the first almost two years of our administration because today, a lot of Americans don’t know it. You know, we’ve created 14 — 13.4 million jobs. More jobs created in — in two — about two years than any president has in four years. (Applause.)

And — and we — together, we rallied the world to confront Russia aggression in Ukraine by holding NATO together and keeping cohesion in their — in the G7.

And we put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown. (Applause.) By the way — and she’s the brightest person on the Court. (Laughter.) Anyway, she’s really first rate. I wish we could — I wish I could bring her along to meet all of you guys.

But — and we passed the biggest investment in history to combat climate change, because I believe climate change is the only existential threat we have. I mean that in a literal sense. Not a joke. If we don’t get it under control, we will have mortgaged not only the next generation, but mortgaged humanity. I believe that with every fiber of my being.

And I especially want to thank — (applause) — and I especially want to thank Kamala for her leadership in so many really important issues. I told her, “Look, when I was vice president, all the tough issues, Barack gave to me.” Well, I gave them all to her. (Laughter.)

But no — but all kidding aside, she’s done a remarkable job in so many issues: protecting women’s freedoms, combatting gun violence, and I could go on all the issues that she’s brought to — she’s fought like hell for.

And we have lunch once a week, and we talk over what more she wants to do. And she’s doing an incredible job.

But, folks, tonight I want to talk about something else. I want to talk about what’s at stake for America. And I mean it sincerely: what’s at stake for America.

You know, when I left the vice presidency at the end of the Obama-Biden administration, I had no intention of running for office again.

Do we need all those fans on? Because — can you hear clearly in the back? (Applause.) Oh, okay. All right.

The — and I had no intention of running again because I had lost my son, the attorney general of Delaware and a decorated war hero out of Iraq. He had a Bronze Star, a Conspicuous Service Medal. And unfortunately, he — his — his — where he slept in his tent was about a hundred yards from a massive burn pit. And he went over one of the healthiest men in his — in his group, and he came back with stage four glioblastoma. It wasn’t if he’d make it; it’s just how long he’d have.

And I was going to write a book. I was going to write a book about foreign policy. I set up an institute at the University of Pennsylvania, where I — I had the foreign policy institute, where they gave me not only professorship but gave me a budget to hire key staff. And the staff included Tony Blinken, who’s now Secretary of State, and many other really serious foreign policy folks.

And I became a professor there. And then I set up an institute of domestic policy at the University of Delaware, my alma mater.

But — but that’s what I did. That’s what I decided to do.

But then along came Charlottesville in Virginia, in August of 2017. You all may remember what happened. I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime. You had hundreds of people marching out of the woods and the fields — not a joke — out of — marching from the fields carrying torches, their veins in their necks bulging in anger, singing the same anti-Semitic bile that was sung on the streets of Germany in 1932 and -3 and -4, and carrying swastikas — carrying swastikas. If you remember, try to think back at the time. Accompanied by the Ku Klux Klan and one of the leaders of the Klan.

And a young woman was killed — a bystander. And I talked with her mom.

After it was over, the President — the then-President was asked — he said, “What — what do you think about what happened?” And I’ll never forget the comment. He said, “There are very fine people on both sides.” “Very fine people on both sides.”

Those words coming out of the mouth of a president in that year just stunned me. It actually stunned me. And, you know, I — making a moral equivalency between that young woman and those racist SOBs — excuse my language — I — I just knew I couldn’t stand by.

Because, you see, I was raised to believe silence is complicity. I mean that sincerely. And so, I would not be silent, so I ran.

And I ran because I thought — I genuinely thought everything this country stood for and believed in, everything that made America “America,” even our democracy, was literally at risk. Again, not hyperbole. I believe that.

And we had no choice. You might remember, I — some thought I was being hyperbolic at the time when I — they said, “Joe, what do you mean democracy is at risk?” or “What do you mean you’re going to restore the soul of America?”

The soul is who we are. It’s who we are. And we were not anything remotely like what was happening.

I come out of the Civil Rights Movement. I thought we could change things when I convinced Strom Thurmond to vote for the Voting Rights Act before he died. I thought we could change things. I was wrong.

You can never defeat hate. Hate just hides under a rock, and when a little oxygen is breathed under that rock, it comes out — it comes back out. That was happening. It was happening.

And, look, the fact of the matter is I don’t think anyone today doubts democracy was at risk that last election and — in 2020. And thank God, because of people like you, Kamala and I won.

And I might add, we won con- — (applause) — and I might add, notwithstanding what’s even being bandied about now, we won convincingly, without question, by a margin of 7 million votes — more votes cast for a president than at any time in American history. (Applause.)

The victory — but here’s the thing: A victory that has not only withstood 60 court challenges, all the way to the Supreme Court, but an insurrection on January the 6th — an insurrection.

I walk into that little dining room off my office where the President sat while that was going on, and think to myself, “How could you sit there? How could you sit there and watch what was happening?”

I told someone earlier tonight that, you know, when I made the first visit as chair — as President of the United States over to England, to the G7, to the European leaders, I sat down and I said, “America is back.” And Macron looked at me and he said, “For how long?” And then the Chancellor of Germany said, “What would you think, Mr. President, if you read tomorrow in the morning paper here in London that a group of a thousand people stormed the Parliament…” — think about this in the literal sense — “…stormed the Parliament, broke down the doors of the House of Commons, killed two bobbies in the process in order to overthrow an election? What would you think about England? What would you think about anyone?”

And, you know, I never quite thought about it as profoundly as that. What would we think if we picked up the paper and read that about the Chancellor — about Germany or France or England now?

And so, folks, you know, democracy was at stake. And notwithstanding the fact that we have in this posi- — in the position that we have moved to rebuild this country in a way that we now have the strongest economy in the world.

We have more to do. I’m not suggesting it’s over. We have more to do, but we have the strongest economy in the world.

But guess what? I’m now running again because we made progress but because our democracy, in my view, is still at stake. I mean that sincerely.

We’re running because our most important freedoms — the right to choose, the right to vote, the right to be who you are, to love who you love — is being attacked and shredded. Literally, think about it: It’s a constant attack.

We’re running because our children should have the right to go to school without fear of being gunned down by a weapon of war. More children in America die every year in America from gun violence than any other cause — any other cause: car accidents, anything. More children die in the United States of America.

Did any of you think as parents that you’d ever see your children having duck-and-cover drills in school?

Well, ladies and gentlemen, you know, I’m running also because it’s still too often that you can be attacked walking down a street just because you’re Black or because of the symbol of your religion you may be wearing.

I’m running because — no, I’m not on the side of dictators like Putin. I know Putin better than anybody who’s held this office. I met with him many, many times over the years.

But maybe Trump and his MAGA friends know how to deal and praise Putin, but I will not. I think it’s outrageous what they say — outrageous and undermines all of our interest. And by — I’m going to stand up to him, and we always will.

Look, Kamala and I are running because we hear this: We want the entire nation to join us in sending the strongest, clearest, most powerful message possible that political violence in America is never, never, never, never acceptable. Never acceptable (inaudible). (Applause.)

And we’re running because democracy is still at stake in 2024, and democracy is on the ballot.

And let there be no question: Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy because they want to break down the institutional structures that allow it to happen.

We are — we are the most unique nation in the world. That sounds like the usual American chauvinism, but we are. We’re the only nation in the world that is not based on ethnicity, religion, or any — we’re the only nation in the world based on an idea — not a joke — an idea: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, endowed by…” and the list goes on.

We’ve never lived fully up to that, but we’ve never walked away from it. But we’ve been walking away from it of late.

And those of you — you’re all successful business women and men. I lay eight to five, Madam Ambassador, if you went back to Hungary, they’d be asking you, “What’s going on? What’s going on?” Whether they are — no matter who they are, there’s a great concern about: Is America still the beacon of democracy and liberty in the world?

Well, we are.

But here’s the deal: You know, the country we lieve [live] in is — in my view, is — is special. But there are those in Congress who are sowing such division, they’re willing to shut down this government right now.

You know, just a few months ago after a long negotiation between myself and the Speaker of the House, we agreed to — on spending levels for the government that — to fund essential domestic and national security priorities while still cutting more than $1 trillion over the next decade. We shook hands on it. We agreed.

Well, only a couple months later, they’re changing the whole deal. They’re rejecting — they’re trying to go back and take away everything that we fought for, including people going without pay in the military.

I could go on. I won’t start. I’ll get just angry a little bit.

But now a small group of these extreme Republicans don’t want that deal anymore, and so now everyone in America could face a significant price to pay.

Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of the Congress. And it’s time for the Republicans in the House of Representatives to stand up and do their job because the Republicans in the Senate, including the Senate leadership from Kentucky, are ready to stand up and work with a bipartisan agreement.

America elected them as well.

You know, Kamala and I don’t believe America is dark or a negative nation, not a — not a nation of carnage driven by anger, fear, as well as the sense of revenge.

You hear the — the former president saying, you know, he will seek revenge for what has happened. The president of the United States will seek revenge for what’s happened.

I mean, I could go on. I won’t — you know all the assertions he’s made.

Ladies and gentlemen, Donald Trump does believe we are a nation driven by anger and fear and playing on it. To his supporters, he says, “I am your retribution.” He says we’re a failing nation. “Either…” — I’m quoting — “Either they win, or we win. And if they win, we no longer have a country.”

Did you ever think you’d hear a president or former president of the United States say those kinds of things? But it’s constant.

And he has some significant support among the — what I call the MAGA Republicans. It’s probably only — it makes up 25 percent of the population. But it’s real, and it’s serious.

I believe we are a hopeful, optimistic nation — I really do — driven by a simple proposition that everyone deserves just a shot — just a free shot. We can disagree on detail of what we should — how we should govern, what we should do, what before — but everyone deserves a shot.

Folks, that’s what at stake in my view. And Kamala and I, we need you. We genuinely need you. Not a joke.

You know, instead, we need every Americ- — indeed, we need every American who loves this country to step up and vote in 2024. If we do that, we’re going to do something few generations will be able to say. We’re going to be able to say we’ve — we’ve saved democracy and we’ve buried this ugly hate again, until someone else tries to come along and breathe hate into it.

Folks, I mean this sincerely. I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s chances in the world than I am today.

And I know I don’t look it, but I’m 180 years old. (Laughter.) I’ve been around a long time. But I mean it. Think about it.

What we’ve done internationally: We’ve put the alliances — we pulled together; the idea we’re going to unite Israel and Saudi Arabia, for God’s sake; the idea that we have the North — South — South Korea and Japan in alliances working with us to defend Ukraine. I mean, just — the list goes on.

Or domestically, we’re really actually moving, making significant progress.

But if we — if we do what we need to do, we’ll be able to say we’ve not only saved democracy, but we’ve generated a new economic growth and political reality in the United States of America.

We have to remember — and that’s the best way to say it. We have to remember who are, for God’s sake. We are the United States of America — the Unites States of America.

There is nothing we’ve ever set our mind to as a nation that when we’ve joined together to get it done, we failed. Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. And that’s not hyperbole.

We’ve come out of ever crisis stronger than when we went in. That’s America. That’s who we are. (Applause.)

And, folks, we’ve just got to remember, we are the United States of America. There is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity.

May God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.

Thank you. (Applause.)

5:43 P.M. PDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Marketing campaign Reception | San Francisco, CA appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has in recent weeks teamed up with wealthy donors in posh Upper East Side penthouses and West Coast decks adorned with flower arrangements and flags. He’s hosting two more fundraisers in New York on Thursday, capping a quarter-end lightning campaign that his team believes will give him a solid financial footing for a competition they expect to set new spending records.

Friday’s events are Biden’s 9th and 10th fundraising receptions of the past two weeks, numbers achieved by Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Biden’s campaign team hasn’t commented on how much it raised at the often impromptu events, but it does exude confidence about the size of the donation before announcing the July 15 deadline.

The president is also calling on the entire Democratic Party to scramble for dollars, and is asking for help from aspiring politicians and governors in the process. Gavin Newsom of California and JB Pritzker of Illinois, as well as more established figures like former President Barack Obama. Obama will be featured in a new Biden campaign video Thursday, designed to encourage small-dollar donations online ahead of Friday’s donation deadline. Allies insist the party stands firmly behind him despite polls showing the Democratic base’s enthusiasm for the 80-year-old president is lagging behind.

“I’ve been doing this for a number of presidents and presidential candidates for a very long time,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Hollywood mogul, Democratic mega-donor and co-chair of Biden’s campaign. “I’ve never seen the Democrat enterprise get off the ground like this from top to bottom, from President Obama, governors, senators, congressmen, just down the line — he’s had excellent support.”

Aiders say they try to encourage donors — particularly small donors — to dig deeper early.

The latest attack is also a consequence of Biden’s day job, Katzenberg said, adding that “his first, second and third job is to rule the country.” Biden’s trips abroad in April and May and the week-long showdown over raising the country’s debt ceiling kept him in Washington. And Biden will travel to Europe next month, giving the campaign a tight window to adjust to donor events ahead of the historically slow summer season.

While the first quarter is widely viewed as a gauge of campaign strength, Katzenberg said there is “no urgency right now” for Biden to raise or spend large sums because he lacks a credible primary threat and the election is 16 months away. Nevertheless, Biden wants to make a mark with the first totals.

Katzenberg said there are “very optimistic signals” that the Biden campaign could significantly exceed its fundraising in 2020, including a high number of first-time Biden donors. Other campaign workers and allies have grown more optimistic about the forthcoming haul.

A far less reticent Biden is seen at the presidential fundraisers, which the press has limited access to and cameras don’t show, than the public often sees. The President sometimes uses them to test a new campaign line or to make more candid remarks than at formal events.

He usually starts at a lectern, but often uses his favorite handheld microphone, which allows him to move around the room and speak more directly to guests.

Biden often nods personally to hosts — at a fundraiser at the New York home of Greek shipping magnate George Logothetis in May, Biden noted that the lessons he learned from his family as a child were no different than “if my mother was ‘Bidenopoulos ‘ instead of ‘Finnegan’.”

Though his advisors make a point of not dwelling on potential 2024 adversaries, Biden often doesn’t shy away from criticizing those aspiring to the Republican presidential nominee at these events.

“I was stunned by the damage the last government has done to us on an international and global scale. “I mean, I was amazed at how deep it goes,” Biden said during a fundraiser in Chevy Chase, Maryland Tuesday night.

His criticism does not only apply to his predecessor.

“Did you ever think you’d ever go through a period where another team’s second-biggest contender bans books?” Biden said in a veiled reference to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a fundraiser earlier this month in Greenwich, Connecticut.

When a baby squeaked while Biden spoke to donors about the Republicans in Chicago on Wednesday, the president spontaneously said, “I don’t blame you, kid.”

His sometimes rambling remarks are full of anecdotes about his long tenure in public office, peppered with references to issues of concern to Democrats, such as stricter gun controls and abortion rights. But on a smaller scale, where cameras are banned, the president can speak out, such as making a rare reference to his personal views on abortion when speaking on the issue at a separate Chevy Chase fundraiser Tuesday.

“I’m a practicing Catholic,” Biden said. “I’m not a big fan of abortion, but guess what? Roe vs. Wade got it right.” At the same event, he misinterpreted the war in Ukraine and instead referred to Iraq.

Last week, Biden sparked a round of diplomatic storm and stress from Beijing after calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a “dictator” at a fundraiser – just hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Xi to defuse tensions. Biden insisted the epithet would not affect the relationship – although others in his administration specifically refused to repeat it.

“He wants to shake hands with everyone and chat with everyone,” Katzenberg said. “If something is on his mind, he says it – and that makes him authentic.”

Last week in the San Francisco area, his fundraisers seemed to prove his point that the US economy favors the rich. He attended events near homes whose Zillow price lists were about four times the lifetime earnings of the average US worker.

“Mr. President, believe me, this is a fancy crowd,” Newsom said at an event amid polite laughter. “I know these people.”

The president still tries to make connections to a working-class past even as he outlines big issues like climate change, relations with China and the fate of democracy.

“How many of you are from smaller towns in the Midwest?” he asked. “You know what happened when the factory closed. The soul of the community is lost. No joke.”

Biden’s campaign team breaks with the level of transparency the Obama campaign sought during his tenure as vice president and does not share the total amount raised at a single event.

“The campaign will share its fundraising numbers when we submit our FEC application next month,” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement, referring to the Federal Elections Commission. “We are heartened by the strong response we are seeing from donors and our grassroots supporters, including a significant number of new donors since 2020, who support the President’s agenda of restoring democracy, freedom and growing the economy through the growth of the support the middle class.”

He added, “While MAGA Republicans debate extreme, divisive and unpopular policies in their primary, we make sure we have the resources to conduct an aggressive, victorious campaign.”

___

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Josh Boak contributed to this report.

The post Biden is wrapping a marketing campaign fundraising blitz aimed toward making a daring early assertion appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

41 minutes ago

FILE — President Joe Biden speaks at a political rally at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia, Saturday, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is stepping up his re-election efforts this week with four fundraisers in the San Francisco area as his campaign fills its coffers and lays strategic foundations for 2024.

In the second half of June, Biden’s campaign will include over 20 fundraisers involving the president, vice president Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, according to a person who was involved with Biden’s travel plans and insisted on anonymity to get the to discuss schedule.

More than half of the fundraisers will be at the President’s, who will also be traveling to New York, Maryland and Illinois. Addressing his campaign issues at a fundraiser Friday in Connecticut, Biden said his goal is to tell voters more about his legislative accomplishments in areas including infrastructure, computer chip production and climate change programs, among others.

“We’ve done a lot,” Biden said on Friday. “We just have to show a lot of people that we’ve made it and be honest with people. Just be as forthright as we can.”

The fundraiser follows Biden’s first campaign event Saturday in Philadelphia, where he was supported by key unions — the event marking a key constituency in an embattled state’s largest population center. It was intended as a first expression of enthusiasm for Biden’s campaign and an opportunity for him to interact directly with voters before spending much of the rest of the month meeting with wealthy well-wishers.

The spate of engagements comes before the end of the fundraising quarter at the end of the month — and Biden’s campaign finance report in July will be the first test of Democratic donors’ enthusiasm for his reelection efforts.

Biden, unlike Trump and other 2024 GOP contenders, has not revealed any references to his fundraising since announcing his candidacy in April. And his campaign launch was timed so that he didn’t have to file a campaign financial report for the first quarter, a historically difficult fundraising period.

For the first time in a US election, Biden has joint giving agreements with all 50 of the state’s Democratic parties and the Washington, DC branch, an arrangement that can help maximize giving while reducing costs in the early months of the campaign minimize. It’s part of a broader effort to unite a diverse Democratic coalition behind Biden as Republicans navigate what could be a big and divisive primary.

“While MAGA Republicans burn money in their primary elections vying to see whose agenda is most extreme, the presidential campaign will seize the opportunity to mobilize significant resources,” Biden’s campaign manager Julie C. Rodriguez said, referring to Donald Trump’s ” Make America”. Great Again” slogan.

Separately, Rodriguez travels across the United States to meet with donors, local officials and community leaders and help align the coalition. Along with other campaign officials, the tour begins in Atlanta and travels through Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Biden will not dedicate all of his time in San Francisco to campaigning. On Monday he will visit the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, California. According to the White House, he plans to tour the coastal wetland and announce $600 million for projects to combat climate change.

The post Biden plans 4 fundraisers in San Francisco space as he revs up 2024 marketing campaign – MyStateline.com appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• San Francisco is investing millions of dollars in a tourism campaign it hopes will revive its pre-pandemic travel appeal
• SF failed to win back the same number of tourists as in 2019
• The ad campaign comes amid an ongoing rise in violent crime, homelessness and store closures in the city

The city of San Francisco has launched its largest advertising campaign to attract tourists and business travelers to the city, which is suffering from an intense and never-ending homelessness, drug addiction and crime crisis.

The campaign, dubbed “Always San Francisco,” cost a whopping $6 million and is being led by the city’s Bureau of Tourism.

This includes the city’s first television commercial, a kind of music video intended to emphasize the city’s uniqueness and diversity.

The campaign comes at a time when public drug use and high-profile crime are devastating San Francisco, and urges politicians to do more to clean up the California city.

The Always San Francisco video features the quirky characters who live in San Francisco – including Lady Camden, a drag queen made famous by RuPaul’s Drag Race. The campaign comes as San Francisco grapples with rampant crime, homelessness and drug use that have displaced businesses and consumers

The commercial, based on a new version of the song “San Francisco,” originally made famous by Jody Garland, will air in multiple markets including New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC and Houston.

The minute-long music spot features a range of local talent, including Lady Camden, a drag queen made famous by RuPaul’s Drag Race, and local muralist Sirron Norris.

A digital advertising campaign will also reach international markets. The effort is funded by a city grant, a grant from the State Bureau of Tourism and San Francisco Travel.

Since the country overcame its COVID-related travel scare, San Francisco has not been able to match its pre-pandemic visitor numbers.

According to the SF Travel Association, the city welcomed 26.2 million visitors in 2019. Because of the pandemic, that number bottomed out in 2020, but only reached 21.9 million in 2022.

In 2022, numerous major conferences and events, including the Outside Lands music festival, returned to the city in full force, resulting in $7.4 billion in spending — more than double 2021’s figure.

However, a handful of high-profile criminal cases and a string of retail closures due to rampant and unpunished theft have tarnished the city’s image with potential visitors.

According to one analysis, San Francisco is suffering the slowest downtown recovery of all 62 largest cities in the US and Canada post-pandemic.

Traveler numbers in San Francisco continue to decline, not returning to pre-pandemic levels. Some major conference organizers have said they will no longer choose to hold their events in the city, specifically because of homelessness. A homeless man is spotted on the streets of San Francisco as officials struggle to solve the city’s seemingly endless problems

The recovery is being slowed further as businesses have announced plans to abandon downtown SF.

Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Saks Off 5th, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Office Depot have all decided to vacate their downtown locations.

Even before the pandemic, organizers began making differing decisions about where to hold their conferences. In 2018, a major medical industry conference announced they would be meeting elsewhere because of the city’s homelessness issues.

SF expects 23.9 million visitors in 2023, spending a total of $8.7 billion. Record spending was reached in 2019 and amounted to $9.6 billion.

However, given the problems the city is facing and without much progress in cleaning up the streets, that number could be lower.

The new San Francisco campaign cost the city and various state funds and supporters $6 million. The campaign comes amid the city’s ongoing struggle with a severe crime and homelessness crisis

Public order in San Francisco has consistently fueled a proliferation of homeless, drug addicts, and mentally unstable populations on the city’s streets.

The city also faces an increasing problem of violent crime. Tech executive Bob Lee became one of the city’s youngest murder victims last month.

Lee, 43, was allegedly murdered by another technology executive on April 4 while visiting San Francisco from Miami, where he and his family moved last year.

A coroner’s report reveals in vivid detail how Lee was found slumped in front of a block of flats without a pulse before paramedics rushed him to the hospital, where knife wounds were found on his heart and one lung.

He died with ketamine, cocaine and alcohol in his system.

In another criminal incident, 53-year-old Don Carmignani, a former fire chief, has been charged with using pepper spray on a homeless man who then brutally attacked him with a metal crowbar.

Carmignani suffered a fractured skull and jaw. Prosecutors can charge him with pepper spraying the homeless man and instigating the attack. However, the city’s district attorney has opted not to prosecute the homeless man for acting in “self-defense.”

The number of homeless people in San Francisco was nearly 8,000 as of February last year, the second-highest number since 2005, according to the government’s official triennial census.

Cash App founder Bob Lee died of stab wounds outside a San Francisco apartment building. Former fire chief Don Carmignani suffered a fractured skull and jaw in the attack and required 51 stitches after 24-year-old Garrett Doty allegedly hit him in the head with a crowbar

Various liberal politicians and city leaders have attempted to implement numerous measures to stem the many problems created by the growing homeless and drug addict population.

One specific harm reduction policy that failed was the opening of the Tenderloin Center last year to help alleviate the city’s drug and homelessness crises.

It cost taxpayers a whopping $22 million and was intended to be a “safe place” for addicts to “get high without getting mugged” and without fear of a fatal overdose.

Users should also be referred to help centers, although in the first four months of operation only 18 of the more than 23,000 people welcomed to the site were referred.

Overall, less than one percent of visits ended with a “complete link” to behavioral health programs.

Despite their efforts, over 500 people died from overdoses in San Francisco in 2022. In 2021 there were 641.

Many people living on the streets suffer from serious illnesses that are often made worse by substance use.

The post San Francisco launches $6 million advert marketing campaign that paints it as ‘quirky and enjoyable’ amid crime disaster appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina bought the Glen Park home from PayPal Mafia member Keith Rabois for $8.7 million, according to property and loan records.

Rabois launched the home in late 2020, shortly after the billionaire announced he was moving to Florida. The price started at $12 million, but after that multiple cuts had fallen to $10.25 million before the sale.

Even after losing a quarter of the original bid, the home is still the highest-priced sale ever made in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood. According to Redfin data, there have only been six $5 million sales in the hilly area south of Noe Valley and east of Bernal Heights in the last five years.

Messina and his wife Taya Cromley, a clinical psychologist, closed the 5,700-square-foot home on Valentine’s Day, according to property records and loan documents Bank of the First Republic who list them as two members of SashaHouse, the Montana-based LLC that purchased the cul-de-sac home. The Obamas’ younger daughter is also named Sasha, but it’s unclear if she was the inspiration for the LLC’s name.

Messina lives in San Francisco and Montana with his wife and their two dogs, according to a bio on the website of his political consulting firm, The Messina Group. The site’s clients include Uber, Airbnb, Google and Delta Air Lines, as well as more than a dozen world leaders, including former British Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron and former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

In the 2012 election cycle, Messina served as manager for Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, which used technology for public relations and fundraising. He was also deputy chief of staff in the White House under Obama.

Rabois also had a short-lived career in politics as an adviser to former Vice President Dan Quayle in 1999. A year later, he moved to Paypal, where he and other early payment site executives and founders such as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel became known as the “Paypal Mafia” due to the interconnected web of giant tech companies — Tesla, Uber, Pinterest, and Airbnb — that they later founded or in which they invested.

Rabois bought the home in June 2011 for $3.5 million while he was COO at Square and immediately submitted approval to fully develop the early ’70s hillside lot as a “breathtaking architectural development” with panoramic views of the city’s skyline to rebuild the city, according to the notes of Coldwell Banker’s Joel Goodrich and Camron Paul Garcia.

Garcia and Compass agent Steve Mavromihalis held the listing when it first went public, and Maveomihalis said via email that “we were able to secure immediate offers within the range of values ​​we had proposed to the seller, but were unable to complete a sale at that time.” Subsequently, he “backed out of that engagement,” he said, although Garcia stayed.

The home’s floor plan centers around an open-air atrium with a “mature birch tree, a flowing stream, and an outdoor shower,” according to the listing. The atrium has a one-car garage on either side of the top floor, and there are four bedrooms, five full baths, two half-baths, a media room, a library, a wine cellar with a sauna next door, and an outdoor hot tub spread across its four floors. The lowest level features a 700-square-foot gym with a half-bath and patio.

Rabois also plans to build a larger gym with a basketball court into another home he bought and is expanding across the street at 43 Everson. Despite moving abroad in 2020 and the ire of some of his neighbors who have urged the city to reject his “scale” plans, Rabois still owns this home, which was purchased in 2015 for $2.35 million, and seems to be moving forward with his Renovation. Electrical permits for AV systems, motorized blinds and automated lighting were recently approved, and gross plumbing inspections were also signed this week, according to city records.

READ MORE LINKS:

Continue reading

The post Obama marketing campaign supervisor buys “Paypal Mafia” member’s residence appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Empty Homes Tax campaign announced Thursday that it was submitting 13,734 signatures to the city — well above the nearly 9,000 needed to appear before voters this fall.

If approved by a simple majority in the Nov. 8 election, the tax could make about 4,500 vacant units available over two years and generate more than $38 million in annual revenue, according to a January report from the Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Legislative Analyst .

The tax measure, backed by Supervisor Dean Preston and some of his allies, is an attempt to make inroads on the city’s housing shortage by freeing up more of the existing supply of units that are currently unoccupied.

It’s also an effort to emulate taxes imposed in other expensive cities, including Oakland and Vancouver, British Columbia. Berkeley is considering placing a similar tax before voters as well.

“Even among folks who may disagree on other issues, I think everyone’s really frustrated by prolonged vacancies,” Preston told The Chronicle. “This is the strongest tool to address that problem.”

The January analyst’s report, which was prepared for Preston, found that San Francisco had more than 40,000 vacant homes in 2019. Many of them were listed for rent or sale, or they were empty because a tenant hadn’t moved in yet, the unit was intended for part-time use or it was unoccupied for some other reason such as ongoing repairs.

However, the fastest-growing segment of vacant housing identified by the report was more than 8,000 empty units that were “sold but not occupied.” That category may include some homes that owners bought “as investments or cash havens with no intention of moving in or renting them out,” the report said.

The proposed tax would range from $2,500 to $5,000 in the first year, depending on the size of the unit. It would increase to a maximum of $20,000 in later years. The tax would apply to owners of vacant homes in buildings with three or more units, if the units in question had been vacant for more than 182 days. Single-family homes and duplexes would be exempt.

“This is targeted at the real estate speculators who have the business practice of buying and holding these properties,” Preston said. “They’re just not really in the single-family home space in San Francisco and haven’t been.”

Money raised from the tax would be earmarked for affordable housing acquisitions and rent subsidies for seniors and low-income households.

The potential ballot measure comes as San Francisco sees a huge slowdown in construction and Mayor London Breed is looking at strategies to jump-start residential building. The city is also facing state mandates to plan for the construction of 82,000 new homes by 2031.

JD Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris

The post San Francisco vacant houses tax headed to poll, marketing campaign says appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO – FBI San Francisco is announcing an awareness campaign to warn the private industry of increased malicious cyber intrusions into organizations of all sizes. The San Francisco Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, remains a target-rich environment for cyberattacks. The FBI encourages organizations to establish proactive relationships with their local FBI field office.

The awareness campaign will last from June 1 to September 2, 2022, and will include media appearances, a social media campaign, and presentations to local industry groups. The FBI will also participate in the 2022 RSA Conference from June 6 to June 9, 2022, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. FBI employees will have a booth on the expo floor and will speak on various panels about emerging and persistent cybersecurity threats.

“The FBI can provide companies with near real-time intelligence, threat trends, and actionable guidance to strengthen a company’s defenses against cybersecurity attacks,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. “When a cybersecurity incident does occur, the FBI can respond quickly and effectively to investigate the attack, identify the criminal actors, and help companies mitigate the damage of the intrusion. Cyber ​​risk is business risk, and cyber security is national security. We all need to work together to strengthen our country’s cyber defenses.”

Recent Trends in Malicious Cyber ​​Activity

FBI San Francisco has seen recent increases in the following types of cyber intrusions:

• Ransomware: The FBI has seen criminal ransomware groups cause more destruction and demand larger ransoms in recent years. In some cases, when a company pays a ransom, the criminal group targets the company again a few months later. The FBI has also seen ransomware groups operate on a franchise model, where the criminals who create the ransomware variants are willing to sell the code to less-sophisticated cybercriminals for an easy profit.
• Supply Chain Attacks: The FBI warns companies that supply chains are increasingly a point of vulnerability for computer intrusions. A company’s cybersecurity is only as good as the security of its trusted vendors.
• Critical Infrastructure Attacks: In 2021, America’s critical infrastructure experienced an unprecedented increase in cyber-attacks. While nation-state threats remain concerning for their persistence, sophistication, and potential for destructive intent, cybercriminals deploying ransomware undoubtedly have the most visible direct impact on US critical infrastructure, including hospitals, the energy sector, and emergency services.

How the FBI Can Help with Preventative Measures

The most important action a company can take in preparing for cyber security incidents is to develop a relationship with their local FBI field office before an intrusion. When the FBI can quickly engage with a company, we can share indicators that help network defenders identify malicious activity and intelligence about what the actors have been doing elsewhere that inform a company’s decision-making during a crisis.

The FBI recommends that all companies, regardless of size, take these preventive measures during this heightened threat environment:

• If possible, identify your company’s most sensitive information and encrypt it. Hackers will often steal this information and attempt to extort companies by threatening to leak it online.
• Ensure your organization has an incident response plan that includes the FBI. Your organization should exercise your incident response plan on a routine basis.
• Ensure you have offline backups of critical data.
• When you realize your system is compromised, cybercriminals may have already taken your data. There are several red flags to look for that might indicate a cyber-attack, including passwords not working, a large number of pop-up ads, unexplained online activity, slow-running devices, and altered system settings.
• Know if your company has any connectivity in Eastern Europe that may cause additional vulnerabilities.
• If compromised, contact the FBI immediately.

What to Do After a Cyber ​​Intrusion

Contact the FBI as soon as you learn of a cyber intrusion. During a crisis, we can work shoulder-to-shoulder with your incident response team in your US office while also working with foreign partners to mitigate an attack, develop threat intelligence, understand exfiltration, and inform defensive posture. If your company experiences a breach—while it may be brand new to you—there is a good chance the FBI has seen the hackers before, whether firsthand or via our global network.

As a federal law enforcement agency, the FBI can conduct criminal investigations and gather evidence of violations of US computer hacking and espionage laws using criminal legal processes, like subpoenas, search warrants, and wiretaps. That collection yields details that unlock who is compromising our networks, how our adversaries are succeeding, and where they may strike next, all because of the technical clues they leave behind.

Because cyberattacks are a global issue, the FBI has legal attaches in over 70 US embassies worldwide and partnerships with law enforcement agencies in each of these countries. The FBI maintains a global workforce of cyber experts, working closely with a network of foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This means infrastructure utilized in foreign countries can be exploited to develop threat intelligence or mitigate attacks through international agreements and partnerships.

By working with the FBI, you are working to help prevent the actor from victimizing others and potentially from re-victimizing you.

FBI – Private Sector Partnership Groups

The FBI shares information with the private sector through one-on-one outreach, cyber threat bulletins, and through our many partnerships, including the Fortune-1000 companies who belong to the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC) and the US critical infrastructure professionals in our national InfraGard program.

The Domestic Security Alliance Council, or DSAC, is a security and intelligence-sharing initiative between the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the private sector. Created in 2005, DSAC enables an effective two-way flow of vetted information between the FBI and participating members to help prevent, detect, and investigate threats impacting American businesses and US economic and national security. For more information, please visit: https://www.dsac.gov/.

InfraGard is a partnership between the FBI and members of the private sector to protect US Critical Infrastructure. Through seamless collaboration, InfraGard connects owners and operators within critical infrastructure to the FBI to provide education, information sharing, networking, and workshops on emerging technologies and threats. InfraGard’s membership includes business executives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, security personnel, military, and government officials, IT professionals, academia, and state and local law enforcement—all dedicated to contributing industry-specific insight and advancing national security. To learn more about joining InfraGard, please visit www.infragard.org. FBI alerts and advisories are provided directly through the InfraGard platform.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) also provides Industry Alerts at https://www.ic3.gov/Home/IndustryAlerts.

Contacting the FBI

Contact the FBI San Francisco Field Office at (415) 553-7400. You can report internet crimes at www.ic3.gov and other suspicious criminal activity at tips.fbi.gov.

*For media inquiries, please contact the FBI San Francisco Media Office at media.sf@fbi.gov*

The post FBI San Francisco Declares Cyber Safety Consciousness Marketing campaign for Bay Space Firms — FBI appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

One month before California votes on whether or not to remove Governor Gavin Newsom, and days before people get their postal ballots – if they haven’t received yours yet – Newsom is running a four-day campaign tour encouraging voters to, ” Choose No. “

While many people in Newsom state may not like or long for change amid the pandemic crisis, right now with “yes” and “no” voters, almost even in polls, the situation is kind of scary. And given the alternatives on the ballot, Democrats must be afraid to vote against the dismissal and make sure everyone they know votes, as that ultimately comes down to voter turnout. Just a few months ago, Newsom was way ahead in the polls and a clear majority of Californians were happy with his job as governor.

Newsom met with volunteers and held an event in San Francisco on Friday at 10 a.m., KRON4 reports, and it will fly across the state today holding separate events in Los Angeles and San Diego.

The message he’s spreading is that if you don’t vote no, you have a Republican in the governor’s office and very likely a self-proclaimed libertarian radio host and Fox News expert, Larry Elder, who swore all pandemic – Revoke mandates if elected. In case you haven’t heard, Elder, who is black, does not believe in systemic racism and wants to abolish the minimum wage.

That alone should scare everyone into voting.

President Joe Biden today made a strong statement of support for Newsom, and Politico reports that the White House is considering sending him and Vice President Kamala Harris to California to promote the “no” side.

“Governor Newsom is leading California through unprecedented crises,” said Biden. “He is a key partner in fighting the pandemic and providing economic aid to working families, helping us rebuild our economy better than ever. He takes on the climate crisis and campaigns for the rights of women, immigrants and the LGBTQ community. He knows how to get his job done because he did it. And to keep him at work, registered California voters should vote no by September 14th and move California forward. “

Senator Elizabeth Warren previously ran a Stop the Republican Recall ad that you may have seen on television. And more ads from big names in the party may still follow.

According to an exclusive poll, according to KRON4, 46% of voters said they would vote for Newsom’s removal and 48% said they would vote against removal. 6% were undecided which makes this a dead race.

The special elections will take place on September 14th and the early voting will begin on Monday.

Related: You saw Elizabeth Warren’s ad, now wait for Biden, Sanders, and others to assist Newsom in the recall

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

The post Gavin Newsom Kicks Off ‘Vote No’ Marketing campaign In San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.